On-page SEO is the foundation of creating a website that works for search engines and users. It’s about fine-tuning individual pages to ensure they rank higher in search result pages and attract the right visitors. When fully optimised and adjusted for maximum SEO performance, they can significantly impact your website’s visibility and search ranking.
On-page SEO is all about what you can control on your own website, such as your content, site structure, and technical details. Unlike off-page SEO, which depends on elements outside your site, like links from other websites and brand mentions, on-page SEO lets you make changes and improvements directly. This is where you have the power to shape your site and make it work better for both visitors and search engines.
Every element of on-page SEO, whether it’s your page titles, meta descriptions, headings, or how fast your site loads, is something you can adjust. Need to rewrite a title tag to include a keyword? You can do that. Want to improve your site’s mobile experience? That’s within your control too.
1. Title Tags
The title tag is the very first thing both search engines and users notice when your site appears on the search results page. It’s like the headline of your webpage, giving a quick snapshot of what the page is about. A well-written title tag makes your page stand out in search results and encourages users to click.
An example of an attractive title tag for an article could include “10 Proven Sleeping Tips to Beat Insomnia and Rest Better Tonight.” It’s specific, includes keywords naturally, and conveys a persuasive and direct message that provides relevant information or content to users who have insomnia. On the other hand, a vague generic title like “Sleep Better, Feel Better” doesn’t give much context or excitement to draw users in.
To make the most out of your title tags, keep them below 60 characters so they are fully displayed in search results. Always include your main keyword naturally and aim to make it both engaging and relevant to your audience.
2. Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are the descriptive text that appear under your title tag in search results. A good meta description doesn’t just summarise the site’s content, it also persuades users that your site is worth clicking on. A meta description can look something like this:
“Struggling to sleep? Discover 10 simple tips to beat insomnia and feel energised!”
The key is to be concise, action-oriented, and pitch to users over what they’ll gain by clicking on it. Keep your descriptions under 160 characters and include your target keywords to match user intent.
3. Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
Headings are your content’s structure. They segment your page into different sections for easier reading and help search engines understand your content. Your H1 tag is the page’s main title, headline, and hook. Subheadings like H2s and H3s break your content into small chunks, making it more digestible for readers to follow along.
A clear structure helps readers find the information they need quickly, especially for lengthier content pieces. Only one H1 per page, and use H2 and H3 tags to organise subtopics.
4. Keyword Usage
Keywords are the lifeblood of SEO. They connect what people are searching for to your content. Without targeted keywords, your site is likely to end up at the far end of Google’s search results.
Placing relevant keywords naturally throughout your page is a great start, but avoid using broad or competitive keywords your competitors are all using. To stand out, you have to be specific, such as using long-tail keywords to attract the right audience.
If you run a small fitness blog, competing for a term like “how to lose weight“ will be difficult against more established sites with larger audiences. Instead, focus on more specific, long-tail keywords like “weight loss tips for busy moms“ or “losing weight for couch potatoes“ can help attract a more targeted and interested audience.
Tools like Google Keyword Planner provide an easy-to-understand and comprehensive view of popular search terms, making identifying keywords that align with your goals simpler.
5. Content Quality
Most of your on-page SEO efforts would likely go into creating quality content. While you can have attractive title tags and relevant keywords, if your content doesn’t deliver or meet visitors’ expectations, they will leave very quickly. This high bounce rate will hurt your SEO efforts and affect your ranking.
To make your content effective for SEO, focus on these key elements:
Relevance And Information: Make sure your content directly addresses the topic or question your audience is searching for. Use examples, data, and informative content to provide depth and make your content stay out.
Natural Keyword Incorporation: Naturally integrate your target keywords into content and avoid keyword stuffing, search engines may interpret it as spam or search engine manipulation.
Make it Readable: Break up text with headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make it easier to read. A simple and clean layout encourages visitors to stay on your site longer.
Originality: Avoid reusing content from other sites and instead focus on offering original content or unique perspectives that your competitors have yet to address.
Visual Enhancements: Add images, videos or infographics to break the monotony of lengthy blogs and articles.
6. URL Structure
Your website’s URL structure might seem like a small potatoes, but it plays a significant role in both user experience and SEO. A clear and descriptive URL promotes clarity and readability so that search engines can understand your content better while making it easier for users to navigate and remember your site.
A vague and messy URL such as “www.example.com/index.php?iw1=0384d” confuses search engines and users. A clean URL, on the other hand, is straightforward and informative.
For instance, “www.example.com/sport-equipment-store” immediately tells users the page they are clicking on concerns sports equipment. To create effective URLs, keep them short and descriptive. Use hyphens to separate words and avoid random numbers.
7. Internal Linking
The core function of internal linking is building a network of navigation for your content, it helps visitors move from one page to another and allows search engines to understand how your content is organised. This interconnected nature highlights which pages are the most important for the relevant content, and the search engine would rank them appropriately.
For example, if you mention “the benefits of local SEO” in an article about SEO, linking to another page that explains the benefits of local SEO adds value for interested readers and helps search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently.
Internal links are also great for keeping people on your sites a little longer. Instead of bouncing after reading one page, they might click on a related topic and generate more traffic to your other content. But strategic linking is important. Rather than using obvious phrases like “click here”, use descriptive or anchor text to make it natural.
8. Visual Media
Visuals and images grab user attention and keep readers engaged. For content that provides step-by-step guides or is instructional, images and videos go a long way in explaining and clarifying to users. Images and videos illustrate points that might be difficult to convey with text alone. Infographics, for instance, can simplify data-heavy topics by presenting information in a visual, easy-to-digest format.
Cooking recipe sites can include video tutorials of the ingredients and kitchenware needed to make the dish. Using relevant and clear visual media makes your content more engaging, accessible, and effective.
9. Mobile-Friendliness
More than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re turning away a huge chunk of your audience. Mobile-friendly sites make life easier for visitors and drastically improve the on-page SEO experience. Buttons are big enough to tap, text is easy to read without zooming, and menus are simple to navigate. Instead of showing a long menu across the top like on a desktop, a mobile site might use a small, collapsible menu button that’s easy to access with your thumb.
Start by using a responsive design, which automatically adapts your website’s layout for different devices and prioritises making your site as accessible and easy to use as possible. The fewer roadblocks and hiccups for users to access your content, the more likely you will retain them.
10. Page Load Speed
Patience has become increasingly scarce online. Many visitors will leave your site before they even see your content if it takes more than four seconds to load the page.
It doesn’t matter if you have the most informative and amazing content if users leave the site before it finishes loading. A good user experience correlates to how search engines rank your content.
Here are the common factors that affect page load speed:
Large Images: Large, unoptimised images are often the primary cause of slow-loading pages. Compress your images using tools like ImageOptim to reduce their file size without impacting image resolution.
Hosting Quality: Slow hosting services can slow down your site. Upgrade to a faster hosting provider or have a dedicated server to improve loading times.
Browser Caching: When browser caching is not enabled, returning visitors must reload all resources from scratch. Enable caching to store static resources like images, CSS, and JavaScript locally on the user’s device.
HTTP Requests: Every page element, such as images, scripts, and stylesheets, requires an HTTP request, which can add up and slow your site. To minimise requests, combine CSS files, reduce the number of images, and use inline styles where possible.
11. Schema Markup
Schema markup is like giving search engines a quick summary of your page’s content. It provides extra details about your content through coding tags and makes it easier for search engines to display useful information in search results.
If you have a recipe website, schema can help Google show details like the ingredients, FAQ, cooking time, and even ratings directly in the search results. This displays more information to users and makes your link more appealing.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a tech wizard to use schema. Tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper make adding this information to your site simple. Once you’ve added schema, you can test it with Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure it’s set up correctly.
12. Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are Google’s way of checking how smooth and enjoyable your website is for visitors. Think of them as three simple tests to see if your site loads quickly, reacts fast, and stays steady while loading. These tests focus on:
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How Fast Your Content Loads
This measures how long it takes for the largest visible content—like an image, heading, or text block—to load on your screen. If visitors stare at a blank page or wait too long for something to appear, they’re more likely to leave. To improve LCP, compress images, speed up your server, and remove anything slowing down the loading process.
First Input Delay (FID): How Quickly Your Site Responds
FID checks how long your site responds when someone clicks a button, fills out a form, or interacts with anything on the page. If there’s a delay, it feels frustrating and unresponsive. To improve FID, simplify your site’s code and reduce JavaScript bloat so your page reacts faster to user actions.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How Stable Your Page Is While Loading
CLS looks at whether elements on your page move around unexpectedly while it loads. For example, have you ever gone to click a button, but it suddenly shifts because an ad or image loads late? That’s a layout shift, and it’s frustrating for users. You can fix this by reserving space for images, ads, and other elements so they don’t pop in and move things around.
By improving these metrics, you will improve your site’s ranking in search results and create a more enjoyable experience for your visitors.
13. E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and it’s how search engines evaluate the credibility of your content. It’s rarely mentioned in on-page SEO optimisations since it does not directly contribute to ranking factors like keywords or content. However, it still strongly influences how search engines assess your site’s overall quality and credibility.
This is especially important for websites that provide advice, health information, financial guidance, or other topics where accuracy and trust are critical. Think of it as a way to prove that your content is reliable and written by someone who knows their stuff
To show experience and expertise, focus on creating well-researched, detailed content that truly helps your audience. If you’re writing about a specific topic, include examples, insights, or personal experiences that demonstrate your knowledge. Adding an author bio is another simple way to boost credibility and highlight your qualifications or industry experience to justify why readers can trust your advice.
Trustworthiness is just as important. Avoid clickbait headlines or exaggerated claims, as they can harm your reputation. Instead, stick to accurate, up-to-date information, and link to credible sources to support your points. Both readers and search engines notice when your content is dependable, which can lead to higher rankings and more engaged visitors.
14. User Experience (UX)
User experience is all about making your website enjoyable and easy to use. When visitors can navigate your site without confusion or frustration, they’re more likely to stay longer, explore more pages, and even return for future visits.
This directly impacts SEO metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and user engagement, which search engines use to gauge the value and ranking.
Clear calls to action (CTAs) such as “Add to Cart” or “Book Session” encourage interactions and engagement with websites. Avoid intrusive pop-ups that block the screen or make users hunt for the “close” button; they’re a quick way to frustrate visitors.
15. Frequent Content Update
Search engines like Google prioritise fresh content, seeing it as a sign that your site is active and still valuable to users. For example, if you published an article in 2014 discussing the best tent models for outdoor camping, it’s likely outdated by now. Camping technology evolves, and new models with better features are introduced regularly.
Updating that article with current recommendations, new tent models, and improved advice shows content is fresh and valuable in the present day. Frequent updates also remedy outdated facts and allow targeted new keywords.
You don’t need to create new posts constantly, even small updates can make a big difference. Review older content and update it with current trends, fresh examples, or additional tips.
Conclusion On The Different On-Page SEO Elements
Mastering on-page SEO is about balancing technical optimisation with creating a great visitor experience. Site performance is an integral part of SEO ranking because a good website that is relevant and credible to users attracts the right audience and keeps visitors returning for more.
Understanding and applying these on-page SEO elements is a constantly ongoing process, but the effort is worth it. With a well-optimised site, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success in both search engine rankings and audience satisfaction.
Best SEO knows that on-page SEO elements play a pivotal role in boosting a business site’s visibility and driving traffic. We specialise in securing the first-page rank for our clients within 90 days.
Don’t believe us? Book a free 30-minute consultation with us today!
Frequently Asked Questions About Understanding The Different On-Page SEO Elements
Is Keyword Density Still Relevant For On-Page SEO?
Keyword density is less important than keyword placement and natural usage. Focus on including keywords in key areas like titles, headings, and meta descriptions without overstuffing.
How Can Internal Links Help Reduce Bounce Rates?
Internal links guide visitors to related content, encouraging them to explore your site further. This reduces bounce rates and signals engagement with search engines.
Should Content Be Updated Regularly Even If It’s Evergreen?
Yes. Even evergreen content benefits from updates to include new data, examples, or relevant trends, keeping it fresh and competitive.
When Should You Use Canonical Tags?
Use canonical tags when you have similar content on multiple pages to signal the primary version to search engines and avoid duplicate content issues.
Should Every Page on a Website Be Optimised for SEO?
Yes. But prioritise key pages like your homepage, product pages, and articles before optimising less critical pages.
Is Duplicate Content Always Bad For SEO?
Yes. Use canonical tags to address duplicate issues or consolidate similar content.
